Bespoke Website Development

What is bespoke website development?

Bespoke website development is the process of designing and building a website from scratch that is fully customised around your business, your goals and of course - your users. Unlike template based websites (looking at you WordPress themes and drag and drop builders), a bespoke website isn’t restricted by someone else’s layout, features or creative limits.

For example, whilst WordPress themes such as Astra or Divi give you a pre-built layout you can populate with your own text and images, the underlying structure (and limitations!) are shared by thousands of other sites. The likes of Wix and Squarespace make it even easier and allow your to utilise their drag and drop builders to drag and drop your own elements on to a canvas but you are sill working within their predefined 'blocks' and design constraints.

With bespoke, you get complete freedom to shape your site exactly the way you want it. Every page, every feature and indeed every pixel - serves a purpose. Your brand gets to shine, your users get a great experience and you get a website that allows your business to stand out in a very crowded online world.

Typical features of a bespoke website

Here's what you can expect from a custom built website:

They have a unique design - First and foremost, bespoke websites are uniquely designed to meet specific criteria defined by you and only you. Unlike using ready built templates, platforms or themes, bespoke website development involves creating a unique and original design for your website that does not currently exist anywhere else. This is done through collaborative workshops where your brand values, audience preferences and visual preferences are translated into custom layouts and typography.

They can be customised - Bespoke websites are customised to address the specific requirements of your business - rather than anyone elses. This involves creating unique design elements as covered above, as well as incorporating features and functionalities that align with your target audience, users and industry.

They are scalable - Your website must be able to grow with your business in this day and age. Whether you plan to expand your services, add multilingual options or launch new product lines in future, a bespoke build gives you the flexibility to evolve. 

You are heavily involved in the process - Unlike websites built using pre-existing templates, the development process of bespoke websites usually involves much closer collaboration between the client and the development team. Regular reviews and communication touch points are vital to ensure that the final product aligns with your requirements.

They are SEO focused - A bespoke website allows for more advanced on page SEO setup and customisation which provides your business with a better foundation for search engine visibility. URL structures, metadata, content layouts and technical SEO can be designed specific to your digital strategy.

Integration capabilities - A bespoke website can be built to connect directly with your existing systems which might be a CRM such as Salesforce or HubSpot, your accounting software such as Xero or your bespoke inventory management system, with no manual data entry in between.

What are the downsides to a bespoke website?

With the good, must come the bad. And whilst the benefits tend to far outweigh any negatives, there are some things you'll want to consider before pushing ahead with a bespoke website:

It will cost more upfront

There's no getting around this one. A bespoke website is going to cost you more upfront 99% of the time. The design and development time required to build your website from scratch around your specific requirements is going to be significantly higher than with off-the-shelf or DIY websites. Whilst this is true even for basic(ish) websites, if you require a complex website with lot's of integrations you can expect this to apply even more so.

Bespoke websites can typically range from £8,000 for a basic website to well over £18,000 for Enterprise grade websites. DIY websites can start from as little as £100 and WordPress websites can start from £800. The difference is significant, but so are the possibilities.

It will take longer to build

You won't be choosing a template on Monday and launching it on Tuesday that's for sure. There's discovery, planning, design, development, testing, deployment and feedback to get through first. The result will be a considerably better fit for your business, but you need to allow the time to get there.

You need to know what you want

To an extent anyway. You don't need a 100 page specification (although we'd take it if you had one) but you will need to provide plenty of input. You'll need to help your development team understand your business, your customers, objectives, workflows, requirements and what you're actually trying to achieve.

You'll need ongoing maintenance

Bespoke unfortunately does not mean 'build once, leave it be'. Your website will need ongoing updates, security patches, monitoring and maintenance over it's lifecycle. Depending on it's functionality, integrations underlying technology, it may also need development work as other systems and services around it change.

What to expect from the bespoke website development process

There's no hard and fast rule about the development process of any piece of software whether it's a website, a web app or a mobile application. However, regardless of who you work with, you can (or at the very leas should) expect to see the following steps in the process:

Discovery: The development team will get a thorough understanding of your requirements, business, users, objectives and what you need your website to do.

Rough timescale: 1 - 2 weeks

Planning & specification: They will then turn those requirements and the context behind them into turning a clear plan covering pages, functionality, user journeys and any integrations.

Rough timescale: 1 - 2 weeks

Design & wireframe: Now it's time to start getting creative. The development team will give you some ideas on the look and feel of your new website, ideally with wireframes so you can see what the individual pages will look and feedback on them before development begins.

Rough timescale: 2 - 4 weeks

Development: The phase that many believe is the whole process, the development work only starts after the prior three phases are completed. This is of course where the designs are turned into a fully functioning new website.

Rough timescale: 4 - 8 weeks

Content: And now it's time for you to really put your own mark on it. This involve adding your copy, your images, videos and any other content that is needed to bring your new website to life.

Rough timescale: Usually done alongside development 

Testing: The devs will now ensure everything is working as it should be across different devices and browsers, giving them a chance to iron out any bugs before you go live. 

Rough timescale: 1 - 2 weeks

Deployment: Here, your website will be moved into it's live hosting environment making it available to the world.

Rough timescale: 1 - 2 days

Post launch support: In case of any teething problems and looking ahead to ongoing maintenance, updates and future improvements.

Rough timescale: Ongoing

The timescales quoted above will differ significantly depending on the size and complexity of your website. It will also depend on how much resource will be working on your website at any given time from your development team. Be sure to ask for indicative timescales upfront so your expectations are managed.

How can we help?

If you’re considering a bespoke website but not sure if it’s the right move yet, we’re here to help you explore that decision. Our UK based developers bring over 30 years of combined experience in developing custom websites for businesses across many industries and disciplines.

We’ll get to know your current setup, your goals and your future ambitions before giving you honest advice including pros, cons, timelines, costs and risks. Should you decide to go ahead, we'll guide you through every step of the process, working closely with you and your team to ensure your website is a spectacle to behold!

FAQs

Q) Do I need a bespoke website?

A) That totally depends on your goals, budget and the complexity of what you require your website to do. A bespoke website is custom built to fit your exact needs, offering total control over design, functionality and performance. They are popular with businesses that have unique branding, specific user journeys or advanced features that off-the-shelf templates simply can’t provide.

However, if your requirements are simple, like a brochure site or a basic online presence, a well built template site might be perfectly adequate and more cost effective. In short, if standing out, scaling up or integrating with other systems is a priority, a bespoke website is often worth the investment.

Further reading

What is the difference between bespoke and off-the-shelf web development?